I-ACT files bribery charges vs. motorist in bribery attempt

MANILA – The Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) has filed charges against a motorist for alleged attempt to bribe a traffic personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) during its clearing operations conducted Thursday in Quezon City.

The motorist identified as Jeremy Rebeo tried to bribe MMDA traffic aide Bobby Caindoy and volunteer Martin Lapid with PHP 500 after he was arrested for a moving violation during Thursday’s operations.

The suspect was taken to the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 6 and to the Quezon City Hall for inquest.

“We applaud the actions of our enforcers in rejecting the bribe of an apprehended motorist. This action reflects the culture of change in the agency and that more and more of our enforcers are making the right choice in performing their duties with untainted integrity. Let this incident be a reminder to all motorists to deal with our enforcers with utmost respect and to never try to corrupt them in the performance of their duties,” Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Road Transportation and concurrently MMDA General Manager Thomas Orbos said in a statement.

Orbos said MMDA will continue with its campaign to eradicate corruption in the agency.

“We hope that with this noble act, many will follow suit. With the guidance of Chairman Lim, we will continue to reward those who perform their work well and equally punish those who fail our set of ethical standards,” Orbos said.

The I-ACT towed a total of 44 vehicles while 117 tickets were issued for obstruction and illegal parking during Thursday’s road clearing operations.

The group, consisted of about 80 personnel from MMDA , Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and traffic enforcers of Quezon City. The team was deployed along Commonwealth Avenue, Tandang Sora, Luzon Avenue, Litex, and within the vicinity of the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

I-ACT has fixed the loading and unloading bays along Commonwealth Avenue and will also remove the lane separators to help decongest traffic in the area due to the ongoing construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7).

EEI Corporation, the project’s contractor, likewise committed to install its own CCTV cameras in the area as well as provide flagmen to help in traffic management.
Its Commonwealth team will be issued LTO tickets in the future to strengthen its authority in traffic enforcement.

The I-ACT was reactivated last Wednesday to ensure seamless coordination of transportation agencies, local government units (LGUs) and the private sector in managing the present traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

Its operations now cover the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal as traffic situation in these areas affects the traffic condition in the National Capital Region.

I-ACT will deploy a total of 6,431 traffic personnel from the MMDA, LTO, LTFRB, and PNP Highway Patrol Group to Commonwealth, C-5, and the northern, central, western, eastern, and southern sectors of Metro Manila.

An integrated traffic management system for enforcement, through utilizing information and communications technology (ICT), will also be established to minimize human intervention and prevent corruption.

Aside from traffic management, it will also conduct intensified operations against illegal parking, colorum and out-of-line vehicles, illegal terminals along major thoroughfares and also deal with anti-fixer, anti-fake licenses/plates and car rental scams. PNA-northboundasia.com